A week in the life of Kortne showcases her $2,245 spending while balancing travel, concert tickets, and her disciplined approach to budgeting.
? Age: 55
? Location: Texas
? Occupation: Director of Technology
? Marital Status: Married (29 years)
? Annual Income: $212,000
? Total Weekly Spending: $2,245
Kortne admits to being a “compulsive spender sometimes.” Yet, after tuning into financial advice for years, she decided to track every dollar.
What followed was a week of combining self-discipline with indulgence: from marathon travel to meal prepping, a spontaneous ticket purchase for Bruno Mars, subscription audits, and thoughtful reflections.
“I feel like I have a really good life. I’m really blessed,” she shared.
Here’s a breakdown of her week.
Day 1: A $4.86 Snack and Trainer Check-In
? Total Spent: $4.86
Her week kicked off with what appeared to be a no-spend day, totaling just $4.86 for a snack. However, this small purchase unsettled her.
“I feel a bit disappointed since I meal prep and usually take my meals to work... I haven’t needed to buy a snack on my way home in a long time.”
Instead of brushing it off, she reached out to her trainer. “I let her know I was hungry and needed to eat.”
Kortne views food as fuel, a lesson from her late mother: “You eat to live. You don’t live to eat.” That philosophy stuck. “I tell people I’m not looking for a feast. I just need energy,” she explains.
Day 2: Subscription Management and Self-Care
? Total Spent: $954.65
On Tuesday, her spending hit $954.65, but most expenses weren’t spontaneous. She made a $500 credit card payment, paid $79 for a massage membership, $75 for lash extensions, tailoring costs, and $159 at Costco for a stainless steel trash can she’d been eyeing.
Her massage membership isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. “I figured a subscription will motivate me to get a monthly massage since my body needs it.”
Having run both the Boston and London marathons in close succession, she views this as preventive care. “I need this to keep my body functioning well.”
Day 3: Comedy Tickets and Subscription Reflection
? Total Spent: $87.64
Wednesday's expenses were lighter: $66 for a Michelle Buteau comedy ticket and a $21.64 Adobe subscription charge that prompted her to reconsider her subscriptions.
“It would have cost me more to cancel it than to keep paying the monthly fee,” she noted. Though her approach to subscription reviews isn’t rigid, she’s become more proactive. Over Christmas, she meticulously reviewed her checking account.
This year, she’s taken her self-assessment further, using ChatGPT for budgeting. “I love it,” she said, noting she has detailed conversations with it.
When she discussed building a 2026 budget with ChatGPT, it indicated a surplus and inquired how she wanted to allocate it towards vacations, home repairs, or investing.
This suggestion inspired her to gather quotes for interior design work to prioritize her spending.
Day 4: An $820 Concert Investment
? Total Spent: $820.62
Thursday marked her biggest expense of the week: purchasing two Bruno Mars tickets. “I didn’t realize they were on sale today... I had to get them.”
Though her daughter didn’t request the tickets, Kortne knew she’d enjoy them. “When I was younger, my parents couldn’t do things like this for me.”
For Kortne, experiences are paramount. Why? “You can never take away my experiences,” she emphasizes.
Day 5: Travel Expenses
? Total Spent: $160
Friday was dedicated to travel. She spent $36 on gas, typical for her 27-mile commute. “I usually fill up every five to six days,” she mentioned, highlighting the inevitability of some expenses.
The bigger decision arose when checking in for her flight to Portland for the half-marathon. An upgrade to first class for $124 caught her eye. She took it.
“It’s a four-hour flight,” she said. “The airline ticket was only about $200... so it felt reasonable to upgrade.”
This is classic Kortne logic. While she’ll pack meals to avoid spending $15 on airport food, she’ll pay for comfort when it’s justified.
Even on a travel day, her spending reflects her intent: splurge when it enhances the experience, save elsewhere.
Day 6: Streamlined Travel
? Total Spent: $121
Saturday started in Portland and culminated in Salem, Oregon, where she would run her half-marathon the next day.
“This is just a day trip,” she noted, emphasizing efficiency.
Her hotel was covered by travel points, while a rental car would cost about $50 (to be confirmed the next day). Her out-of-pocket expenses for Saturday totaled $121.
This included:
- $24 for a shirt from Zara
- $6 at Trader Joe’s for water and ginger juice
- $4 at Walgreens for disinfectant
- $59 to change her assigned seat
- $25 for dinner
- A small Apple Pay charge for gum
She felt the sting of the $59 seat change. “I was assigned row 32 out of 36, and I didn’t want to sit at the back,” she admitted.
Yet, her real strength lies in meal planning. She had breakfast at home, brought snacks on the flight, packed her lunch, and prepared her pre-race meal. She even brought an airport lunch for the next day.
For Kortne, travel is not a reason to compromise discipline. It’s a chance to show she can maintain it. “I won’t spend $15 for an airport sandwich. I always take my food with me,” she stated.
And that’s the theme of her week. She’s not restrictive; she’s intentional.
Day 7: Race Day
? Total Spent: $96.51
Sunday concluded Kortne’s hectic half-marathon journey; race in the morning, flight home in the afternoon, and back to Dallas by evening. Her daily spending was modest, totaling $96.51.
Despite traveling home post-race, she didn’t spend a dollar at the airport.
“I didn’t spend any money on food at the airport,” she shared. “Luckily, I meal prepped and had food ready for the airport and right after the race since I was starving.”
With tight timing — race at 8:30 a.m., flight at 2 p.m. — she didn’t even have time to eat at the race. Instead, she relied on meals she’d packed from home and stored in her hotel.
Once again, efficiency triumphed over impulse.
Final Thoughts: Balance of Discipline and Enjoyment
? Total Weekly Spend: $2,245
By the time she returned to Dallas, her total for the week stood at $2,245.
“Did I anticipate spending that much this week? No,” she said. “I wasn’t.”
However, context is key. There was that $500 credit card payment, concert tickets, and travel for the half-marathon. This week wasn’t typical, and that realization felt enlightening rather than concerning.
“It was truly eye-opening,” she reflected. “It also made me ponder where I could reduce costs.”
One immediate adjustment she plans to make is switching from the six-pack gallons of water she usually buys weekly from Costco. “We have a water filter at home… filtered water is available at work, too.” It’s only about $5.69. However, as she pointed out, “little savings here and there... it adds up.”
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